GUNTUR: Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) officials were taken by surprise after they noticed numerous irregularities in madrasas, non-residential and residential special training centers, and seasonal and residential hostels in the district.
Five teams, formed after instructions from V&E SP Sobha Manjari, raided 22 of 144 such schools, run by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), recently in Guntur. Teachers in eight madrasas in Guntur and Ponnuru do not have the educational qualification required for the job, the officials found out. According to them, as many as 1,600 students study at these institutions and the organizers rely on private help to arrange for students’ mid-day meals.
During inspections at four non-residential special training centers at Rajupalem and Piduguralla, it was noticed that the staff did not register their attendance through the bio-metric system even when the campuses were equipped with the equipment. Meanwhile, only 200 students reside at two residential training centers in Guntur city due to poor maintenance. The funds sanctioned for new bed sheets, dhobi charges and maintenance of bio-metric system were misused, it was found.
The officials also raided seven seasonal hostels at Narasaraopet, Rompicherla, and Sattenapalli. As many as 2,600 students reside and study there. Due to poor maintenance and lack of proper toilet facilities, the drop out rate has increased with many resorting to not stay in the hostels, the officials said, adding the congested classrooms were not sufficient to accommodate full strength of students.
Stating that a detailed report regarding the raids would be submitted to higher officials for further action, the V&E SP said supervision of these schools by coordinators, mandal education officers and headmasters was very poor. The bio-metric system put in place at these institutions is not being used, she said.
Poor state of affairs at EG seasonal hostels
In a similar report published a few days ago, it was reported that seasonal hostels in East Godavari district were functioning very poorly as was found out during raids by the vigilance department